My boys are currently outside trying to feed leftover bread to the birds. Their current plan includes waving the bread wildly in the air while shouting "come here bird, get your breakfast!" I wonder how long they'll last before they figure this one out. Maybe I should go help? Nah... it's more fun this way.
On another note, we're still in the process of negotiating our future with the Navy. Some of you may know we've been talking to the detailer (the person in charge of Navy jobs) about Bahrain - not optimal but of the choices he gave us it's the one that keeps our family together. Just a few days ago a man Paul knows who works in Northern Italy called to say there was a job opening there and would he be interested? Apparently Paul is really interested so we'll see where that trail leads. It's not likely they'll give him that job unless some "power that be" asks for him - you never know! And today a new list of jobs was posted so we'll be looking over those - so much information.
All of this to say, please pray that we would be aware of what God wants for us. We would be happy living most anywhere, some places would be easier and have better opportunities for us as a family - but ultimately we want to go where God wants us to reap His benefits.
Have a great day! We're off to do a bit of shopping in preperation for our next adventure. I can't wait to get to Greece!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Another interesting read
http://donmilleris.com/2010/06/04/bob-goff-turns-the-idea-of-charity-upside-down/
An article I just had to share! Wow!
An article I just had to share! Wow!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Paris, the summary
I just realized it's been a while since I wrote and I forgot to summarize our trip to Paris, sorry. I have a little bit of an excuse - want to hear it? good. The day after we returned from Paris Paul left for Bahrain and doesn't return until today. Needless to say that left me with a mountain of laundry, two very tired boys and a lot of housework to do so my brain hasn't had the ability to write.
I've spent the last few days doing laundry including all of the sheets and blankets, battling another mold infestation, switching all our clothes from winter to summer and sorting through to accumulate two trash bags full of donations and cleaning up the house from 3 weeks of neglect. whew. This weekend we will tackle the yard which currently resembles an overgrown jungle.
But let's talk about fun stuff for a while, shall we? Paris, ahhhhh Paris. We had a great trip. I did a bit of research before going trying to find "kid friendly" things to do in the City of Lights and while I found lots of articles stating "Paris can be fun for kids" I truly had my doubts. You see, if you've been to Paris as an adult and kid free you experience Paris a totally different way and I wasn't completely sure I was willing to give up my ideal version of Paris. It turns out the articles were right, you can enjoy Paris with kids! It's a completely different experience but one I'm so glad I had the opportunity to enjoy.
I decided at the last minute to take a stroller and boy am I glad I did! We must have walked for miles each day and poor William is not able to keep up, we would have been absolutely miserable if both boys had tried to walk those distances. We chose not to use the Metro system as it is so easy to stroll from place to place. Our apartment was in the 15th arrondisement, just south of the Eiffel Tower. It was the perfect location, close enough to the action but far enough out of the center to give us a feel for real life in the city. We had a playground just across the street from our apartment and we played there quite a bit. It was such a lovely scene, a variety of children playing together across language barriers and cultures. I thought this would be our life here in Italy, multi-cultural experiences where my boys were able to play with children from all over the world; but alas, that was not to be.
Our first day we took the boys to the top of the Eiffel Tower, they thought it was so cool! We had lunch at one of the restaurants on the Tower, yes I know that's a touristy thing to do but it was actually good food at a reasonable price and the view can't be beat! We sat overlooking the Seine watching boats go by, sipping wine, eating salmon and finishing with a most divine chocolate dessert. The next day we took the BatoBus, a shuttle boat that goes from stop to stop along the Seine river, and we went to Notre Dame. The boys also liked seeing this as they had learned about the gargoyles on the church from Scooby Doo. Yes, I'm a bit embarrassed I can't say they learned about it from an educational film during a homeschooling lesson, but it is what it is. After Notre Dame we walked over to the Jardin de Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens) and found a playground for the boys to run around. This playground was fantastic! Of course you had to pay a small fee to get in this one but it was worth it - the boys left covered head to toe in dirt and completely exhausted. We walked back to the BatoBus stop and before the boat pulled away from the dock William was asleep in his stroller and Lewis had found two seats where he could lay down.
I've already written a summary of our Tuesday, it turned out to be a great day despite our visit to the clinic for Paul's hand. On Wednesday Paul had his meeting (the real reason for our trip) so the boys and I had a rest day. We hung out in our PJs for most of the morning and then went to the playground, had a light lunch out and waited for Paul to come home. We went out to dinner that night, yummy Indian food and then went for a stroll around the city. Paris is much different at night. All the tourist buses have left, it's quiet, subtly lit and peaceful. I wanted the boys to see the Eiffel Tower at night and also to experience the flashing that occurs on the hour. For the millennium celebration they lit the Eiffel tower with flashing bulbs and they still use them each night. Now let me tell you, it doesn't get dark in Paris until at least 10:00pm making it very hard to get little boys to sleep at a normal time. By Wednesday night, 10:30 was their normal bedtime so it wasn't strange at all that we had them out and about at this time of night. We were playing on a playground in the park in front of the Tower when she started flashing - the look on William's face was pure delight! He just sat and stared and said "wow!". Unfortunately I didn't see Lewis' reaction as he and Paul had gone to find a restroom but Paul said he was also amazed at the sight.
Thursday was a rainy day but we went out anyway, we had no plans just walking and discovering. We were in the Jardin de Tuilleries just in front of the Louvre when the weather took a turn for the worse. We went inside for cover and originally planned to only see the pyramid and get a snack but found out children are free for the museum so we decided to go in. Now Paul and I are not museum people, needless to say neither are Lewis and William, but it's the Louvre and you need to do it once so we did - did I mention it was pouring rain outside? We got our map and headed straight to the Mona Lisa, slowly pushed our way to the front and as she came into clear view I leaned down to the boys and said "look, that's the Mona Lisa, she's one of the most famous paintings in the world." And Lewis said "yeah, I know Mom, I've already seen her on Little Einsteins." Good grief. Well, at least they're learning something from the shows they're watching? I have to admit, I don't get all the hype about this painting. We viewed several other paintings by da Vinci that I personally liked better, but what do I know about art? Nothing. Paul and I both agreed it was a bit anti-climactic to finally see her, but we can say we've seen her in person. We moved on to the Ancient Egyptian exhibit which we all liked more, they had an actual mummy!
Friday we spent another long day at the Jardin de Luxembourg enjoying the playground, the fountains, a nice lunch (sushi again, yummy!) and a lovely snack on the way home. All week I wanted to stop at a corner cafe, have a creme brulee and a glass of champagne and Friday was my day! I convinced Paul to stop and bribed the boys with ice cream - it was a fabulous last snack in Paris! I'm not sure Paul enjoyed it as much after paying the bill (eating in Paris is crazy expensive) but I'm very grateful for that little indulgence.
And Saturday we came home! I will share this, for the first time coming home from a trip I didn't dread being back in Naples-answered prayer? I think so. I'm finally gaining peace about being here and for that I am truly grateful.
Wow, after not writing for a week I just talked your ears off (or eyes since you're reading it). Now that we've unpacked from Paris it's time to start thinking about Crete! We leave for Greece on Saturday June 12 and I can't wait!
Both boys are still missing their Oma - the distraction of Paris was good but as soon as we got home they remembered and said "let's go see Oma". We all miss you!
I've spent the last few days doing laundry including all of the sheets and blankets, battling another mold infestation, switching all our clothes from winter to summer and sorting through to accumulate two trash bags full of donations and cleaning up the house from 3 weeks of neglect. whew. This weekend we will tackle the yard which currently resembles an overgrown jungle.
But let's talk about fun stuff for a while, shall we? Paris, ahhhhh Paris. We had a great trip. I did a bit of research before going trying to find "kid friendly" things to do in the City of Lights and while I found lots of articles stating "Paris can be fun for kids" I truly had my doubts. You see, if you've been to Paris as an adult and kid free you experience Paris a totally different way and I wasn't completely sure I was willing to give up my ideal version of Paris. It turns out the articles were right, you can enjoy Paris with kids! It's a completely different experience but one I'm so glad I had the opportunity to enjoy.
I decided at the last minute to take a stroller and boy am I glad I did! We must have walked for miles each day and poor William is not able to keep up, we would have been absolutely miserable if both boys had tried to walk those distances. We chose not to use the Metro system as it is so easy to stroll from place to place. Our apartment was in the 15th arrondisement, just south of the Eiffel Tower. It was the perfect location, close enough to the action but far enough out of the center to give us a feel for real life in the city. We had a playground just across the street from our apartment and we played there quite a bit. It was such a lovely scene, a variety of children playing together across language barriers and cultures. I thought this would be our life here in Italy, multi-cultural experiences where my boys were able to play with children from all over the world; but alas, that was not to be.
Our first day we took the boys to the top of the Eiffel Tower, they thought it was so cool! We had lunch at one of the restaurants on the Tower, yes I know that's a touristy thing to do but it was actually good food at a reasonable price and the view can't be beat! We sat overlooking the Seine watching boats go by, sipping wine, eating salmon and finishing with a most divine chocolate dessert. The next day we took the BatoBus, a shuttle boat that goes from stop to stop along the Seine river, and we went to Notre Dame. The boys also liked seeing this as they had learned about the gargoyles on the church from Scooby Doo. Yes, I'm a bit embarrassed I can't say they learned about it from an educational film during a homeschooling lesson, but it is what it is. After Notre Dame we walked over to the Jardin de Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens) and found a playground for the boys to run around. This playground was fantastic! Of course you had to pay a small fee to get in this one but it was worth it - the boys left covered head to toe in dirt and completely exhausted. We walked back to the BatoBus stop and before the boat pulled away from the dock William was asleep in his stroller and Lewis had found two seats where he could lay down.
I've already written a summary of our Tuesday, it turned out to be a great day despite our visit to the clinic for Paul's hand. On Wednesday Paul had his meeting (the real reason for our trip) so the boys and I had a rest day. We hung out in our PJs for most of the morning and then went to the playground, had a light lunch out and waited for Paul to come home. We went out to dinner that night, yummy Indian food and then went for a stroll around the city. Paris is much different at night. All the tourist buses have left, it's quiet, subtly lit and peaceful. I wanted the boys to see the Eiffel Tower at night and also to experience the flashing that occurs on the hour. For the millennium celebration they lit the Eiffel tower with flashing bulbs and they still use them each night. Now let me tell you, it doesn't get dark in Paris until at least 10:00pm making it very hard to get little boys to sleep at a normal time. By Wednesday night, 10:30 was their normal bedtime so it wasn't strange at all that we had them out and about at this time of night. We were playing on a playground in the park in front of the Tower when she started flashing - the look on William's face was pure delight! He just sat and stared and said "wow!". Unfortunately I didn't see Lewis' reaction as he and Paul had gone to find a restroom but Paul said he was also amazed at the sight.
Thursday was a rainy day but we went out anyway, we had no plans just walking and discovering. We were in the Jardin de Tuilleries just in front of the Louvre when the weather took a turn for the worse. We went inside for cover and originally planned to only see the pyramid and get a snack but found out children are free for the museum so we decided to go in. Now Paul and I are not museum people, needless to say neither are Lewis and William, but it's the Louvre and you need to do it once so we did - did I mention it was pouring rain outside? We got our map and headed straight to the Mona Lisa, slowly pushed our way to the front and as she came into clear view I leaned down to the boys and said "look, that's the Mona Lisa, she's one of the most famous paintings in the world." And Lewis said "yeah, I know Mom, I've already seen her on Little Einsteins." Good grief. Well, at least they're learning something from the shows they're watching? I have to admit, I don't get all the hype about this painting. We viewed several other paintings by da Vinci that I personally liked better, but what do I know about art? Nothing. Paul and I both agreed it was a bit anti-climactic to finally see her, but we can say we've seen her in person. We moved on to the Ancient Egyptian exhibit which we all liked more, they had an actual mummy!
Friday we spent another long day at the Jardin de Luxembourg enjoying the playground, the fountains, a nice lunch (sushi again, yummy!) and a lovely snack on the way home. All week I wanted to stop at a corner cafe, have a creme brulee and a glass of champagne and Friday was my day! I convinced Paul to stop and bribed the boys with ice cream - it was a fabulous last snack in Paris! I'm not sure Paul enjoyed it as much after paying the bill (eating in Paris is crazy expensive) but I'm very grateful for that little indulgence.
And Saturday we came home! I will share this, for the first time coming home from a trip I didn't dread being back in Naples-answered prayer? I think so. I'm finally gaining peace about being here and for that I am truly grateful.
Wow, after not writing for a week I just talked your ears off (or eyes since you're reading it). Now that we've unpacked from Paris it's time to start thinking about Crete! We leave for Greece on Saturday June 12 and I can't wait!
Both boys are still missing their Oma - the distraction of Paris was good but as soon as we got home they remembered and said "let's go see Oma". We all miss you!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Another way to help
Hello all! If you're looking for a way to make a difference, check out this link. Marla is selling coupon books to help fund her missions trip to Cambodia - check it out! For once this book looks like it's full of stuff you would actually use. Buy one for you and a friend and know you're doing something great!
http://www.marlataviano.com/cambodia/who-loves-coupons/
Thanks for helping and please pass the word!
http://www.marlataviano.com/cambodia/who-loves-coupons/
Thanks for helping and please pass the word!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Day 3 in Paris
Remember yesterday I said we were going to have a kid day today? Well, our intention was to get up and out early so we could enjoy the Dinosaur exhibition. We made it to the Expo center around 1:00pm - would you like to know the reason of the delay?
My wonderful, ever so helpful husband Paul was doing the dishes this morning when he walked out of the kitchen and said "we have a problem". The trail of blood running down his arm was NOT reassuring. Turns out he broke a wine glass and cut his hand - a big deep cut.
So, I spent a few minutes on the computer looking for hospitals or clinics and off we went. After walking for a bit I forgot the exact street number of the hospital and not wanting to go the wrong way on the street I started to look around for someone to ask directions. Along came a lovely young couple and I asked in the worst french possible which way to the hospital? Luckily they realized right away I speak English, and so did they. Fluently. Not only that but they had an Iphone with lots of information to help us. They told us the hospital we were looking for had closed - strange since the website I found made no mention of that. So, they took us to the Pharmacie just across the street to ask advice and after looking at Paul's hand the advice was to go to a nearby clinic. The couple offered to walk with us to the clinic, we politely declined not wanting to take up their day shuttling bleeding Americans to the clinic. They showed us the location on our map and looked up the exact street address on the Iphone and off we went. Never ever let anyone convince you the French people are rude - we have had nothing but the nicest experience with the locals and especially this lovely couple today.
We found the clinic with no problem and went inside. The nice lady at the reception asked us something and Paul uncovered his hand to show her the reason for our visit and she motioned for him to follow her. Less than 2 hours later we were done and on our way again. The Dr. gave Paul 3 stitches, one inside as he cut the tendon just a bit and two outside to hold the skin together- a nice splint, some gauze, a prescription for antibiotics and instructions to not do housework for three weeks.
I told Paul there are easier ways of getting out of housework.
We go to Sicily, broken ankle. Paris, sliced hand. I can't wait to see what happens in Greece.
The good news - the boys were sooooo well behaved at the clinic and we all enjoyed the Dino Expo!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Bonsoir
Bonsoir mes amis! (Good evening my friends!) I'm writing from Paris! By the way, Parigi is Italian for Paris.
It's been over 10 years since I've been to Paris and I'm thrilled to be back. I knew I loved this city, but being here has reinforced why. It's so beautiful! Quiet! Clean! Paris is such a lovely city to stroll around, window shop and dream of life as a Parisian.
Today we took the boys to the top of the Eiffel Tower and also walked over to the Arc de Triumphe. We are now the proud owners of 3 miniature Eiffel towers! yipeeee.
Tomorrow I think we'll do a "kid day" and go to an exposition featuring - dinosaurs!!!! yipeee again, but you have to do these kid days or they start to rebel.
I'll finish this post by sharing my little slice of heaven for the day - sushi for dinner. YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! and the best thing about it? they deliver - right to your door - so I can have it again without the walk!!!!! and I will have it again, maybe twice.
Ahhhhhhh, Paris.
It's been over 10 years since I've been to Paris and I'm thrilled to be back. I knew I loved this city, but being here has reinforced why. It's so beautiful! Quiet! Clean! Paris is such a lovely city to stroll around, window shop and dream of life as a Parisian.
Today we took the boys to the top of the Eiffel Tower and also walked over to the Arc de Triumphe. We are now the proud owners of 3 miniature Eiffel towers! yipeeee.
Tomorrow I think we'll do a "kid day" and go to an exposition featuring - dinosaurs!!!! yipeee again, but you have to do these kid days or they start to rebel.
I'll finish this post by sharing my little slice of heaven for the day - sushi for dinner. YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! and the best thing about it? they deliver - right to your door - so I can have it again without the walk!!!!! and I will have it again, maybe twice.
Ahhhhhhh, Paris.
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The good - tomorrow we're leaving for a one week trip to Paris
The bad - I have not planned one detail of the trip other than where we are staying.
The ugly - I'm currently on day 2 of a yucky stomach bug.
In other news, the crosses I ordered from Jennifer Hanson at http://nothingsandnotions.blogspot.com/ arrived and are absolutely beautiful! As in, "order them now for yourselves or you'll be disappointed" beautiful! Thank you Jennifer for a great product, I can't wait to mail them to their new homes with my dear friends.
The bad - I have not planned one detail of the trip other than where we are staying.
The ugly - I'm currently on day 2 of a yucky stomach bug.
In other news, the crosses I ordered from Jennifer Hanson at http://nothingsandnotions.blogspot.com/ arrived and are absolutely beautiful! As in, "order them now for yourselves or you'll be disappointed" beautiful! Thank you Jennifer for a great product, I can't wait to mail them to their new homes with my dear friends.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
What a day.....
Last night I awoke to the rumblings of my stomach signalling the "yucks" had taken hold and it was going to be a bumpy ride. Long, not fun night.
This morning I am better but still under the weather.
Oma left just about 30 minutes ago, Paul took her to the airport. I have spent the past 30 minutes consoling my boys, one at a time, as they cry and realize how much they'll miss Oma.
This is going to be a loooooooooooooooooong day for all involved.
Safe travels Oma! We love you and miss you already.
This morning I am better but still under the weather.
Oma left just about 30 minutes ago, Paul took her to the airport. I have spent the past 30 minutes consoling my boys, one at a time, as they cry and realize how much they'll miss Oma.
This is going to be a loooooooooooooooooong day for all involved.
Safe travels Oma! We love you and miss you already.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Our time is winding down
We are currently enjoying time with Oma (Paul's mother) and I'm already sad our time is almost up. She's leaving on Wednesday and secretly I'm hoping for some more volcano trouble so she can't fly out. Is that selfish? sneaky? bad? Oh, who cares! I want her to stay! The boys have absolutely loved having her here. She plays games with them - and let me explain - she plays games with them in the morning, before coffee!!!!! Can you imagine? I have a hard and fast rule that no games or puzzles will be attempted until at least my 2nd cup of coffee. Trust me, it's better for all involved. Anyhoo, back to Oma. She is lovely to have around and my heart is already aching at the thought of her not being here. William will especially be sad, he has really bonded with her and cried this morning when she went into Naples without him. Wednesday is going to be a sad day.
I think I'll head outside and do a secret "volcano dance"! shhhhhhh, don't tell her.
I think I'll head outside and do a secret "volcano dance"! shhhhhhh, don't tell her.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Rhinos go to Umbria
I'll try to write a brief summary of our trip to the region of Umbria. Umbria is the only region of Italy that is landlocked - little trivia for ya.
It was truly a lovely trip. We have established a good routine on our family trips. We're up early (every single day despite my pleas for sleeping in) and we have our breakfast, shower and head out to explore. We do our sightseeing while most people are still waking up and it's fantastic this way because it's not too crowded yet and you get to see the real city. Around midday when the streets start filling with tour groups we find a restaurant and have lunch, enjoy people watching and beating the crowds as typcial Europeans eat about an hour later than we do. A bit more looking around and maybe some gelato (ice cream) and then we drive back to our apartment/hotel. This particlar residence was perfect as it had lots of outdoor space for the boys to run around and burn off energy. Paul and I would relax with a glass of wine and enjoy the scenery and the sounds of little boys playing. We would have a light dinner and call it a night. Perfection.
We went to the towns of Assisi, Gubbio, Perugia, Orvieto and Panicale and we also did a bit of exploring around Lago Trasimeno. Lago = Lake.
Assisi is of course famous for its' patron Saint Francis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisi It is quite interesting to me that St. Francis lived a life of poverty and the Basilica they built to honor him is rather fancy.
Perugia is famous for its' chocolates, though I never saw a single chocolate shop in the town. I thought that was very strange in comparison to Belgium which is also known for its' chocolates and you can't walk more than 10ft. without finding a new and yummy treat to try. Oh well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perugia
Gubbio was quite an unexpected gem. We hadn't heard much about this town but the guidebook made it seem interesting so we took a look. It is a beautifully preserved medieval town and we really enjoyed wandering its' streets and exploring all the different alley ways. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gubbio We were very surprised to find a big kids' playground next to the Roman theater - it would have made a great place to take a picnic but we had already enjoyed lunch in the main town.
Panicale was recommended to us by our host family and we were thrilled we took the time to see this quaint little town. It's what the other touristy towns were before they only catered to the tourists. It was quiet, lived in, real. And we had some of the best gelato of our trip right in the little square! I tried to link a wikipedia article but there wasn't any real information to share.
We had a kids' day and went to a local park. It was an amusement park of sorts, quite old fashioned and really a little boring but guess what? The boys LOVED it. There were petting zoos, things to climb on, cars to drive and rockets to climb. It was here our boys rode a horse for the very first time and now they want to take riding lessons!
On our way home we stopped in Orvieto to see the Duomo and it was very impressive. But, of the other little towns we visited Orvieto was my least favorite due to the large amount of tourists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orvieto
The local food and wines were fun to try. Truffles are abundant in this region and are incorporated in very interesting ways into the food. My absolute favorite was the pizza I had in Orvieto. Light, crispy firewood-oven baked crust topped with a truffle cream sauce and mozzarella di bufala - divine. I will say that the local breads we tried were very disappointing. I'm not sure if our tastes have grown specific to the breads of our Campania region or if the bread was really bad but something was just "off". Another regional favorite is Cinghiale (ching-GYAH-lay) which is the local wild boar. Everything from sausage to meat sauces are made with this, interesting flavor - not my favorite but I think I could get used to it with time. The local olive oil is very good, a light almost buttery flavor that's great on a simple salad with a touch of balsamic vinegar.
We enjoyed being here in Spring as we were treated to new blooms of gorgeous flowers everyday. In particular we loved the poppies - bright red specks of joy amongst the fields, along the sides of roads and in the most unexpected places. I think the poppy is actually a weed? But what a beautiful weed.
In my humble opinion, Umbria is better than Tuscany. Tuscany seems to be way too eager for the tourists whereas Umbria continues to live life and invites you to join right in. The rolling hills are beautiful, the weather in late April is fantastic and there is enough to do to keep you busy everyday all-day or it's peaceful enough to do absolutely nothing but relax and take in the culture. Umbria is the Italy I thought we were moving to, it's the Italy you visit and say "I could live here".
It was truly a lovely trip. We have established a good routine on our family trips. We're up early (every single day despite my pleas for sleeping in) and we have our breakfast, shower and head out to explore. We do our sightseeing while most people are still waking up and it's fantastic this way because it's not too crowded yet and you get to see the real city. Around midday when the streets start filling with tour groups we find a restaurant and have lunch, enjoy people watching and beating the crowds as typcial Europeans eat about an hour later than we do. A bit more looking around and maybe some gelato (ice cream) and then we drive back to our apartment/hotel. This particlar residence was perfect as it had lots of outdoor space for the boys to run around and burn off energy. Paul and I would relax with a glass of wine and enjoy the scenery and the sounds of little boys playing. We would have a light dinner and call it a night. Perfection.
We went to the towns of Assisi, Gubbio, Perugia, Orvieto and Panicale and we also did a bit of exploring around Lago Trasimeno. Lago = Lake.
Assisi is of course famous for its' patron Saint Francis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisi It is quite interesting to me that St. Francis lived a life of poverty and the Basilica they built to honor him is rather fancy.
Perugia is famous for its' chocolates, though I never saw a single chocolate shop in the town. I thought that was very strange in comparison to Belgium which is also known for its' chocolates and you can't walk more than 10ft. without finding a new and yummy treat to try. Oh well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perugia
Gubbio was quite an unexpected gem. We hadn't heard much about this town but the guidebook made it seem interesting so we took a look. It is a beautifully preserved medieval town and we really enjoyed wandering its' streets and exploring all the different alley ways. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gubbio We were very surprised to find a big kids' playground next to the Roman theater - it would have made a great place to take a picnic but we had already enjoyed lunch in the main town.
Panicale was recommended to us by our host family and we were thrilled we took the time to see this quaint little town. It's what the other touristy towns were before they only catered to the tourists. It was quiet, lived in, real. And we had some of the best gelato of our trip right in the little square! I tried to link a wikipedia article but there wasn't any real information to share.
We had a kids' day and went to a local park. It was an amusement park of sorts, quite old fashioned and really a little boring but guess what? The boys LOVED it. There were petting zoos, things to climb on, cars to drive and rockets to climb. It was here our boys rode a horse for the very first time and now they want to take riding lessons!
On our way home we stopped in Orvieto to see the Duomo and it was very impressive. But, of the other little towns we visited Orvieto was my least favorite due to the large amount of tourists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orvieto
The local food and wines were fun to try. Truffles are abundant in this region and are incorporated in very interesting ways into the food. My absolute favorite was the pizza I had in Orvieto. Light, crispy firewood-oven baked crust topped with a truffle cream sauce and mozzarella di bufala - divine. I will say that the local breads we tried were very disappointing. I'm not sure if our tastes have grown specific to the breads of our Campania region or if the bread was really bad but something was just "off". Another regional favorite is Cinghiale (ching-GYAH-lay) which is the local wild boar. Everything from sausage to meat sauces are made with this, interesting flavor - not my favorite but I think I could get used to it with time. The local olive oil is very good, a light almost buttery flavor that's great on a simple salad with a touch of balsamic vinegar.
We enjoyed being here in Spring as we were treated to new blooms of gorgeous flowers everyday. In particular we loved the poppies - bright red specks of joy amongst the fields, along the sides of roads and in the most unexpected places. I think the poppy is actually a weed? But what a beautiful weed.
In my humble opinion, Umbria is better than Tuscany. Tuscany seems to be way too eager for the tourists whereas Umbria continues to live life and invites you to join right in. The rolling hills are beautiful, the weather in late April is fantastic and there is enough to do to keep you busy everyday all-day or it's peaceful enough to do absolutely nothing but relax and take in the culture. Umbria is the Italy I thought we were moving to, it's the Italy you visit and say "I could live here".
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Another way to help!
If you've been reading my blog you know I LOVE to find ways to help those helping themselves and glorifying God in the process.
I found this blog today and she's giving away coffee from Africa along with a travel mug. I can't do the explanation justice so here is the link - please read and please help if you can.
http://heart-and-home.net/2010/05/raindrops-on-roses-thrive-africa-coffee-and-travel-muggiveaway-week/
Hope you're having a very blessed week! I know I need to update, I promise I will soon.
I found this blog today and she's giving away coffee from Africa along with a travel mug. I can't do the explanation justice so here is the link - please read and please help if you can.
http://heart-and-home.net/2010/05/raindrops-on-roses-thrive-africa-coffee-and-travel-muggiveaway-week/
Hope you're having a very blessed week! I know I need to update, I promise I will soon.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Hello!
Hello All! I haven't disappeared, but I have been quite busy. After returning from our lovely and much needed getaway, we are currently being blessed with the presence of Oma (Paul's mother). The boys are having a blast, they love her so much and we are enjoying our visit.
I'll try to update this weekend, I hope you're all having a very blessed week!
Sabrina
I'll try to update this weekend, I hope you're all having a very blessed week!
Sabrina
Saturday, May 1, 2010
One of those moments
Today I had one of those moments, they're rare but oh so enjoyable.
I was having lunch in a piazza in Orvieto with my family. The sun was shining, there was music in the background as a street performer entertained the boys with juggling, great food, good wine - one of those moments in life that makes you sit back and say "Thank you God".
I actually looked over at Paul and said "if I died right now, please know I'm going to heaven a very happy little clam."
Do you have those moments? I certainly hope so.
We had a fabulous week in the Umbrian hills, I'll write about it tomorrow but for now I'm off to bed.
I was having lunch in a piazza in Orvieto with my family. The sun was shining, there was music in the background as a street performer entertained the boys with juggling, great food, good wine - one of those moments in life that makes you sit back and say "Thank you God".
I actually looked over at Paul and said "if I died right now, please know I'm going to heaven a very happy little clam."
Do you have those moments? I certainly hope so.
We had a fabulous week in the Umbrian hills, I'll write about it tomorrow but for now I'm off to bed.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Mamma Mia! I'm 40?
My fortieth birthday came and went without much fanfare, I don't like fanfare.
I spent a lovely day with great friends shopping and lunching in the cute town of Vietri sul Mare, a town on the Amalfi coast known for its' ceramics. Can you believe that this was the first time going to Vietri without the boys and the ONLY time I haven't found at least one piece I love enough to buy? Oh well, maybe next time.
Last night we had our typical Friday family movie night with pizza. Paul and the boys made me a cake, complete with a big 4-0 on top! After putting the boys to bed, Paul and I toasted my big day with champagne - truly a nice day for me.
Today we're off to Umbria, a region in Italy with the most charming hill towns and places to explore. We'll go to Assisi, Orvieto, Deruta (also known for its' ceramics), Perugia (known for its' chocolates), and several other towns that peak our interest. I'm looking forward to a relaxing week with my boys.
Here is a link to the place we'll be staying, it looks so beautiful and I'm sure it will be in person as well.
http://www.collesanpaolo.it/home/index.php?lang=en
I doubt we'll have internet access so there won't be any updates throughout the week, but I know I'll come home with several good stories and lots of good pictures
I plan on working on my 40 at 40 list while there so I can post that too.
I hope you all have a great week full of blessings too many to count!
I spent a lovely day with great friends shopping and lunching in the cute town of Vietri sul Mare, a town on the Amalfi coast known for its' ceramics. Can you believe that this was the first time going to Vietri without the boys and the ONLY time I haven't found at least one piece I love enough to buy? Oh well, maybe next time.
Last night we had our typical Friday family movie night with pizza. Paul and the boys made me a cake, complete with a big 4-0 on top! After putting the boys to bed, Paul and I toasted my big day with champagne - truly a nice day for me.
Today we're off to Umbria, a region in Italy with the most charming hill towns and places to explore. We'll go to Assisi, Orvieto, Deruta (also known for its' ceramics), Perugia (known for its' chocolates), and several other towns that peak our interest. I'm looking forward to a relaxing week with my boys.
Here is a link to the place we'll be staying, it looks so beautiful and I'm sure it will be in person as well.
http://www.collesanpaolo.it/home/index.php?lang=en
I doubt we'll have internet access so there won't be any updates throughout the week, but I know I'll come home with several good stories and lots of good pictures
I plan on working on my 40 at 40 list while there so I can post that too.
I hope you all have a great week full of blessings too many to count!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
A Way to Help
I love finding ways I can help others, don't you?
One of the things on my "40 at 40" list is to be more conscientious about the purchases I make in the next year. I want to give gifts that give twice - first by helping the cause selling them and second by giving joy and a story with meaning to the receiver.
I read this entry this morning and immediately thought these necklaces fill both of those requirements.
If you're looking for inspiration, read through Katie's blog, one woman making a huge difference in the lives of so many people and doing it all because of her love of Jesus. Amazing.
If you're looking for gifts, please consider buying some of these necklaces - give one to all of the women in your life sharing the story of the women making them. Women just like you, trying to take care of their families and friends.
http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/
http://147millionorphans.com/uganda-necklaces
One of the things on my "40 at 40" list is to be more conscientious about the purchases I make in the next year. I want to give gifts that give twice - first by helping the cause selling them and second by giving joy and a story with meaning to the receiver.
I read this entry this morning and immediately thought these necklaces fill both of those requirements.
If you're looking for inspiration, read through Katie's blog, one woman making a huge difference in the lives of so many people and doing it all because of her love of Jesus. Amazing.
If you're looking for gifts, please consider buying some of these necklaces - give one to all of the women in your life sharing the story of the women making them. Women just like you, trying to take care of their families and friends.
http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/
http://147millionorphans.com/uganda-necklaces
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Two down.....
Two of our four family members are currently suffering from a horrible stomach virus - blech.
Sweet William started throwing up late Monday night and hasn't stopped - there are few things in life that will make your heart ache like seeing a sick child. I know, I know, he's not seriously sick and for that I thank God, but it's still so hard to see him suffering. He has been snuggled up in a chair with a blanket for the better part of two days and he ran a fever yesterday but that seems to have broken. He has gone the last two hours with no vomitting and has kept a cup of applesauce and a small bowl of jello down - ahhh progress.
And then there's Paul - his sickness started early this morning and he's still in the eye of the storm. If you know anything about my husband you know that he has to be seriously sick to miss work and he's currently huddled under the covers of our bed trying to rest between trips to the bathroom.
After dispensing the proper amount of loving and caring to each of my patients I began the necessary task of bleaching every single surface in the house to protect the remaining healthy two. I truly believe that Lewis and I should get a "free pass" on this virus since it is our birthdays this week. Is it wrong to start my morning prayer with "God, please don't let me be sick on my birthday?" - I quickly added "please protect Lewis and please give healing and comfort to William and Paul.".
Any additional prayers along this line would be greatly appreciated.
And speaking of my birthday, it's a big one this year - 40! I'm still having a bit of trouble saying that number without grumbling, not that 40 is old, it just feels a bit surreal that it's MY age.
And since it's a milestone birthday I thought I should do something life-altering to celebrate. I'm making a list of "40 at 40" - 40 things I plan to do this next year- some will be 1st time things, some I plan to use to bring about change, some just for fun. I've started working on the list and hope to have it finished and shareworthy soon (a week of birthday fun and virus not-so-fun can zap time).
I found the inspiration for my list at this blog http://nothingsandnotions.blogspot.com/ Jennifer is currently working on 101 in 1001 and I'm enjoying reading about her progress. Also, check out her beautiful handmade crosses http://nothingsandnotions.blogspot.com/p/crafts.html I recently put in an order and I can't wait to receive my beauties! I love to see people using their talents to glorify God.
In case you're wondering, homeschooling has been temporarily put on hold due to life, but we're always learning!
All for now, back to my nursing job. May you all have a blessed and healthy day!
Sweet William started throwing up late Monday night and hasn't stopped - there are few things in life that will make your heart ache like seeing a sick child. I know, I know, he's not seriously sick and for that I thank God, but it's still so hard to see him suffering. He has been snuggled up in a chair with a blanket for the better part of two days and he ran a fever yesterday but that seems to have broken. He has gone the last two hours with no vomitting and has kept a cup of applesauce and a small bowl of jello down - ahhh progress.
And then there's Paul - his sickness started early this morning and he's still in the eye of the storm. If you know anything about my husband you know that he has to be seriously sick to miss work and he's currently huddled under the covers of our bed trying to rest between trips to the bathroom.
After dispensing the proper amount of loving and caring to each of my patients I began the necessary task of bleaching every single surface in the house to protect the remaining healthy two. I truly believe that Lewis and I should get a "free pass" on this virus since it is our birthdays this week. Is it wrong to start my morning prayer with "God, please don't let me be sick on my birthday?" - I quickly added "please protect Lewis and please give healing and comfort to William and Paul.".
Any additional prayers along this line would be greatly appreciated.
And speaking of my birthday, it's a big one this year - 40! I'm still having a bit of trouble saying that number without grumbling, not that 40 is old, it just feels a bit surreal that it's MY age.
And since it's a milestone birthday I thought I should do something life-altering to celebrate. I'm making a list of "40 at 40" - 40 things I plan to do this next year- some will be 1st time things, some I plan to use to bring about change, some just for fun. I've started working on the list and hope to have it finished and shareworthy soon (a week of birthday fun and virus not-so-fun can zap time).
I found the inspiration for my list at this blog http://nothingsandnotions.blogspot.com/ Jennifer is currently working on 101 in 1001 and I'm enjoying reading about her progress. Also, check out her beautiful handmade crosses http://nothingsandnotions.blogspot.com/p/crafts.html I recently put in an order and I can't wait to receive my beauties! I love to see people using their talents to glorify God.
In case you're wondering, homeschooling has been temporarily put on hold due to life, but we're always learning!
All for now, back to my nursing job. May you all have a blessed and healthy day!
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